A Risky Business

Sustaining an LCC in Russia is precarious business, and things just became even more bleak.

The pessimists were proved right this fall. As many feared, Russia’s foray into the low-cost carrier (LCC) market has been tough—too tough for Avianova, which ceased operations in October. Meanwhile, Russia’s LCC pioneer, Sky Express, has seen major management and business strategy changes that from October effectively ended its almost five-year run. These events have left industry observers questioning whether the LCC model can ever become a viable business in ...